The afternoon's included shore excursion was by motorcoach into London. The tour lasted five hours.
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| Nicknamed Smurf Houses, these are student residences for the University of East London Docklands, built on part of the site of former docks of the Port of London, once the largest port in the world |
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| Water from the former enclosed docks |
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| Docklands Traffic Light Tree (1998, by Pierre Vivant) |
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| Draped Seated Woman aka Old Flo (1957, by Henry Moore) now rests in Cabot Square at Canary Wharf |
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| Central London skyline from Canary Wharf |
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| Residential towers of Canary Wharf, another redeveloped section of former docks |
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| Latest former City Hall (2000-2002, by Norman Foster and Partners) (KSS) |
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| Tower of London (c 1078-1087, by William the Conquerer), officially Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London (KSS) |
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| Tamiko & Kent at Tower Bridge |
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| The Tower Bridge (1886-1894, by Sir Horace Jones and John Wolfe Barry) is a double-leaf bascule lift bridge |
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| Lights tower behind the lastest former city hall |
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| Skyscraper nicknamed The Shard (2009-2012, by Renzo Piano) is the tallest building in the United Kingdom, standing at 309.6 m/1,016' high |
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| St Olaf House (1928-1932, in Art Deco style, as headquarters for the Hay's Wharf Company; now part of London Bridge Hospital) |
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| Crossing the Modern London Bridge (1971-1973) with a view of Tower Bridge, fronted by the HMS Belfast, a World War II era Royal Navy warship |
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| Monument to the Great Fire of London (1671-1677, by Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke) |
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| London Troops War Memorial (1920, by Sir Aston Web) honors those who fought in both World Wars |
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| 60 Queen Victoria Street (1999, by Foggo Associates) has the largest patinated exterior (oxidozed bronze) in Britain, with brise-soleil grilles to block sunlight, and is supported by bronze piloti/columns |
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| St Paul's Cathedral, with a giant Nail (2011, by Gavin Turk) standing between the old and the new: One New Change shopping mall (2010, by Jean Paul Nouvel) |
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| A narrow "alley" leads to the entrance of the shopping mall, and to the elevators to the rooftop restaurant |
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| Our treat was to take the elevator to the rooftop to view the backlit dome of St Paul's Cathedral |
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| A silhouette of Lady Justice (1905-1906, by Frederick William Pomeroy) holding a sword and scales, which stands atop Old Bailey/ central Criminal Court of England and Wales |
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| West façade of St Paul's Cathedral (1675-1710, by Christopher Wren in English Baroque style) is the seat of the bishop of the diocese of London |
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| Royal Courts of Justice (1873-1882, by George Edmund Street in Gothic Revival style) |
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| St Clement Danes Church (1680-1682, by Christopher Wren in Baroque style) (KSS) |
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| Today's London double-decker bus is the hybrid New Routemaster; there are also all-electric models |
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| A glimpse of the London Eye or Millennium Wheel (1999, by Julia Barfield and David Marks) |
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| Westminster Abbey (founded 960, built 1245- 1260 with additions, in Gothic style) is the Royal Church for coronations & weddings |
Westmintser Abbey is known for the burials of the royal family as well as many historic figures; however, we did not enter the church.
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| In 1998, ten statues of 20C Christian martyrs were placed in the empty niches over the west door, including Dr Martin Luther King, Jr |
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| Originally a block of eight houses (1854, by Gilbert Scott in Gothic style); almost immediately became offices |
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| Traditionally the Royal Post boxes are red, but during the 2012 Olympics in London, one post box was painted gold each time England won a gold medal |
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| We passed Buckingham Palace (1703, enlarged 1847-1850 by Edward Blore, remodeled in 1913 by Aston Webb) and the Victoria Memorial (1901-1911, by Thomas Brock) |
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| Big Ben (1845-1859, by Augustus Pugin in Gothic Revival style) is officially Elizabeth Tower, but is nicknamed for the largest bell in the tower |
Big Ben tower was recently unveiled following an extensive maintenance and repair, and renovation. The clock is not yet again operational, so we did not hear the Westminster "chimes" on the quarter hour.
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| Palace of Westminster or Houses of Parliament (1840-1876, by Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin) |
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| The typical black cabs of London now sport advertisements; since 2014, all new cabs have had to have zero-emissions |
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| Trafalgar Square with the Nelson Column (1840-1843, by William Railton) that honors Admiral Horatio Nelson, and an equestrian statue (c 1633, by Hubert le Sueur) of King Charles I |
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| Guards Crimean War Memorial (1861, by John Henry Foley and Arthur George Walker) commemorates the Allied victory in the Crimean War of 1853–1856 |
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| Piccadilly Circus with the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain (1892-1893) with a statue of the Greek god Antheros (the younger brother of Eros), honors philanthropist Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury |
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| An empty pedestal in Piccadilly Circus is often topped with contemporary art: currently that is The End (2020, by Heather Phillipson), whipped cream with a cherry, a fly, and a drone |
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| Today there was a pro-Ukraine demonstration/march that ended in Piccadilly Circus |
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| The Mad Hatter Hotel (c 1882 as the Tress & Company hat manufacturer) |
We returned to the Viking Venus and a late dinner.
Although we already changed clocks forward in the USA for Daylight Savings Time, we had to do it again as the United Kingdom switched to British Summer Time!
Next: Canterbury, England.
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